[wpietri]

As a side note, I really like the framing of "operate on their belief"

> Does anybody actually operate on their belief that "geopolitical factors," rather than astonishing amounts of fraud, are responsible for the current downturn?

What people believe is such a slippery question, especially when those people are participating in or proximate to fraud. It might even be a category error. But pivoting to "operate on" moves the discussion from something unknowable to looking at observable behavior. It's along the lines of "Don't tell me what you value. Show me your budget, and I'll tell you what you value," in that it can skip over whole swathes of PR and other BS.

I love this and I'm borrowing it for sure.